Post-Soviet Press Group

SSEES's famous Post-Soviet Press Group (PSPG) provides a weekly opportunity to discuss developments in states of the former Soviet Union.

We discuss听news from听Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, Moldova, the South Caucasian states, and Central Asia, covering a wide range of topics,听including听politics, the mass media, business,听the听environment, NGOs, human rights, culture, economics, and religion.

The core activity of the Group involves members presenting and discussing news items during weekly meetings. These meetings take place in person on听Wednesdays, 13:00-14:00, in Terms 1 and 2 (excluding Reading Weeks) in the Masaryk Room on the fourth floor of the SSEES building.听These meetings are held under the听.

Members are free to pick any story they wish, with no need to notify the Group beforehand. In practice,听some听members choose an issue to follow throughout the year, making them the 鈥済o-to person鈥� in the Group听on a particular topic.听Members are also free simply to listen to the discussion.

When presenting a news item, the Press Group member gives a short summary, before opening up to discussion with other members, who can add details and ask follow-up questions.听

Written听summaries of these听news听reports are听then鈥痯ublished each week and circulated to members of the Press Group in the鈥�Bulletin.听 on how to prepare material for inclusion in the听Bulletin听are听available.听 to receive the weekly听Bulletin.听In addition, longer pieces are published on the 鈥�Post-Soviet Brief鈥� blog, alongside commentary from SSEES academics.

Several guest speakers are invited each听year听to the Wednesday lunchtime meetings. Past speakers have included Maria听Alyokhina听(Pussy Riot), Boris听Akunin听(Russian novelist), Shaun Walker (The Guardian),鈥痑nd鈥疎dward Lucas (formerly of The Economist).